


Dragon Bond

by shadow_faye



Series: Dragon Spirit [3]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dragon Mates, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Sting, Pre-Dai Matou Enbu | Grand Magic Games Arc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 09:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7796416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_faye/pseuds/shadow_faye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sting looked over at him slowly. He was used to Rogue not saying much. He'd always been a bit tight lipped compared to the rest of their guild mates, which was saying a lot. They weren't close with any other members of the guild. They'd barely spoken to them. They'd only spoken a handful of words to the celestial wizard Yukino, who joined their guild a year ago. They'd always preferred to do their own thing. They'd known each other since they were children. They were the only dragon slayers they knew that had actually killed a dragon. They were both responsible for the deaths of their fathers, and that was something no one else could understand.</p><p>However, he would like to know why Rogue was even more quiet than usual. It was as if the other dragon slayer was keeping something from him, which wasn't possible. Rogue didn't keep secrets from him. At least, he never had before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is the third installment of my Dragon Spirit series and can be, and is in fact intended to be, read at the same time as my Dragon Soul story. These two fics take place at the same time, however, they are different views on the events. This is Sting and Rogue's side of the story, whereas Dragon Soul is Freed and Laxus' side of the story. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chunk of this chapter is taken from the Fairy Tail Episode 151, Sabertooth. You'll recognize the quotes. ^_^ That wonderful material belongs to Mashima, the sadist. Not me.  
> PSA: I hope it doesn't bother anyone, but I use "They" pronouns for Frosch, as Mashima has not informed us what Frosch's gender is, and I assume nothing.
> 
> For this story, I'm going to be doing something different. I'm actually going to link songs in with the chapters I can. There may be quite a bit of Adelita's Way because their lyrics just make me think of Stingue. ^_^
> 
>  
> 
> [Adelita's Way "Closer to You"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7za5vtH818I)

Rogue crossed his arms over his chest looking down at the men laying unconscious at the base of the hill. They definitely had no clue what had been coming for them. They didn't know that he and Sting were hired to hunt them down. The men had been bandits, simple thieves that were abusing their power, taking advantage of the villagers around them and forcing them to support their way of life. The locals had approached Sabertooth for help, and Master Jiemma, never one to miss an opportunity, agreed to help them for a cost. The village, desperate for help, agreed to adhere to Jiemma's terms if he sent help. Jiemma sent Sting and Rogue to clean up the mess, and they had. The bandits would no longer bother the village and the villagers owed Jiemma a fee every month for the protection. Rogue wasn't sure how much it was, he didn't ask. Guild members weren't to question their guild master. They owed him their loyalty as much as the villagers know did. 

The battle hadn't been a difficult one. The bandits barely put up a fight. Bows and arrows were nothing against a mage, especially dragon slayers. The villagers hadn't stood a chance against them, but the bandits were hardly a threat to Sting or Rogue. Still, Sting had been ruthless in his attack. He'd gotten more and more ruthless during their time at Sabertooth. He felt no pity for the men they were fighting against. Rogue hadn't noticed it at first, but with every job they went on, he got more and more carried away. It frightened him what Sting would be capable of without Rogue beside him. 

"Can you believe what they're saying?" Sting asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

"Hmm?"

"They found the Fairy Tail team, the ones that went missin' on Tenrou Island." 

Rogue turned his face to him slightly. He hadn't been aware there'd been news about Fairy Tail. 

"Oh?"

"Yeah. They're alive," he said smirking. "Frozen in time or somethin' like that. They came back a while ago. Somehow they all look as if they hadn't aged a day. Someone saw Mirajane and said she looked younger than she did when she left."

"I wasn't aware."

"You know what that means don't ya?"

Rogue stayed silent. He was pretty sure where Sting's train of though was headed. 

"Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox are alive." 

"Obviously."

"It sure takes ya back, doesn't it? Last time we saw them, you came up to about to here on Gajeel." Sting said, gesturing what would have been approximately stomach level. "Heh, you were a pretty big fan of his about then. But I didn't care for him. He was scary." 

The derision was clear in Sting's voice. He'd obviously lost his respect for his long ago hero Natsu Dragneel. Rogue wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Somehow Natsu and Gajeel had survived Acnologia's attack without being killed themselves. That alone caused Rogue to be wary of their presence. How did they manage to survive seven years without aging? What happened on Tenrou Island. Sting thought Gajeel used to be scary, and Rogue still thought both Natsu and Gajeel could be frightening. How much magic power did they have in them that could enable them to survive an attack by Acnologia, the Black Dragon of the apocalypse? 

"Stop bringing up the past Sting." Rogue said evenly, cutting off Sting's ramble. He refused to let Sting know how much the thought of Natsu and Gajeel returning affected him. "We chose to follow a different path than them." 

Footsteps sounded on the hillside behind them and Rogue turned his head slightly to the left, to see a man running towards them.

"I found you!" The man yelled, pulling his bow taut as he ran towards them. Rogue turned away from him facing back over the hillside. He wouldn't last five seconds against either Sting or him, and didn't deserve his attention. "Take this!"

The sound of an arrow being released from its bow filled the air behind Rogue, but it never reached its intended target. He could hear the second Sting snatched it from the air behind him, and he fought a shiver as a small breeze brushed his neck, letting him know the arrow had been aimed for his head. The man behind him cried out and Rogue could hear Sting begin chewing on the arrow. He fought the urge to shake his head at the theatrics.  

"He's eating...the arrow!" The man cried out with a whimper. "Don't tell me it's him!"

Rogue smirked to himself as he heard Sting release his White Dragon roar. He'd known butting in would take all the fun from Sting. He enjoyed letting people know how strong he'd gotten. He heard the whimpers of the beaten man as the stone wall behind him gave way to the powerful attack. The guy never stood a chance. He turned slowly to survey the wreckage, crossing his arms over his chest. The man was on his knees, half of his helmet missing from his head, and trembling in fear. 

"Aw dammit," Sting growled. "Guess I'm outta practice. His heads still there." 

"I knew it! It really is you! The Twin Dragons of the Sabertooth Guild in the flesh!" The man cried out, voice shaking. "White Dragon Sting and Shadow Dragon Rogue! The Dragon Slayer Duo!"

Rogue couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. Even across Fiore, his reputation of never working with anyone but Sting followed him. Amusement crossed Sting's face as the man threw his bow behind him and took off running. He'd had enough, just facing one half of their team. 

"Hold up, are you just going to ditch your pals?" Sting quipped, amusement evident in his voice. "That's harsh man." 

"Gee Sting, you don't know when to hold back, do ya?" a familiar voice called out and Rogue glanced out the corner of his eye to see Lector and Frosch walking towards them. 

"Ribbit!" Frosch's one word answer standing as an agreement to whatever Lector said. 

"Hey, it's Lector and Frosch. I was wondering where you guys went."

"Oh you know, just doing some recon stuff." Lector said, as as the exceeds walked their way, stopped to wag his finger in Sting's face. "We thought we'd find the enemy before they ambushed us. But it looks like the two of you already took care of them, huh? Those guys got what they deserved for messing with awesome dragon slayers." 

"Yeah you're the bestest ever," Frosch said, waving their arms at Sting and Rogue. 

"Damn straight." Sting said, smirking slowly looking over the men on the ground around them. 

Rogue shook his head slowly. 

"They did not know we were coming. If they did, they would have been more prepared."

"Aw, don't be such a wet blanket Rogue!" Sting said, slapping him on the back. "We would have still beaten them. Take a win for what it is, a win!" 

"Sure." Rogue said, non-committal as Frosch climbed up on his shoulder. 

Sting looked over at him slowly. He was used to Rogue not saying much. He'd always been a bit tight lipped compared to the rest of their guild mates, which was saying a lot. They weren't close with any other members of the guild. They'd barely spoken to them. They'd only spoken a handful of words to the celestial wizard Yukino, who joined their guild a year ago. They'd always preferred to do their own thing. They'd known each other since they were children. They were the only dragon slayers they knew that had actually killed a dragon. They were both responsible for the deaths of their fathers, and that was something no one else could understand. 

The other guild members had teased them mercilessly for their closeness at the beginning. They'd had to deal with jeering and laughs from the other guild mates, especially when they found out they shared a bed. That is, until Sting put Orga's head through a wall. Though, the teasing was enough to make Sting ask for his own bed. He'd been horribly embarrassed and could barely face Rogue after all the laughs. None of the other guild members understood dragon slayers, or understood that their closeness wasn't based on attraction. Dragon slayers didn't feel attraction until they met their mates, and Sting still hadn't met his, and he was pretty sure Rogue hadn't either. Rogue would have told him that, despite his quiet nature. 

However, he would like to know why Rogue was even more quiet than usual. It was as if the other dragon slayer was keeping something from him, which wasn't possible. Rogue didn't keep secrets from him. At least, he never had before. 

Rogue swallowed nervously under Sting's intense gaze. If Sting kept staring at him, he would have to react or else Sting would suspect there was something wrong. If he suspected there was something wrong, he'd question him and Rogue would spill everything. Rogue mentally prayed Sting would give up, because a confession would ruin the only friendship he had. A part of him regretted not reaching out to his other guild mates and befriending them. If he had then perhaps he wouldn't be facing the mess he was now. However, Sabertooth wasn't that kind of guild. Neither was Phantom Lord when he'd been a member of that guild. The only person he had anything in common with at Phantom Lord had been Gajeel and Gajeel barely noticed he was even there. No, those guilds were based in strength only, not comradery like guilds were supposed to function. Not in the way Rogue had dreamed of all his life. However, Sabertooth was the guild he chose, and he would stick with it so long as Sting was content with the choice. 

"Let's get back to the guild hall," he said quietly, attempting to distract Sting. "Jiemma would have a list of the Grand Magic Game competitors by now." 

"Well we know who's not going to be on the list," Sting said with a laugh walking with him. "They wouldn't want to face another year of embarrassment."

 

* * *

 

"They seriously signed up, I can't believe it. Aren't they tired of losin'? It's bad enough everyone knows they're the worst guild in Fiore."

Rogue sat back on his bed watching Sting pace the floor of their bedroom. Frosch curled up in his lap with a yawn and he reached down to scratch their ears. He fought a smile at Sting's antics. The blonde dragon slayer could get worked up about anything. It was surprising his hair wasn't the same color as his attacks. 

"They might not lose." 

Sting spun to face him and Rogue swallowed, knowing immediately that was the wrong thing to say. 

"How could they not? They've lost every time they've participated. They came in dead last." 

"This time they have all those wizards who went missing."

"Who've lost seven years of training! This has got to be a publicity stunt. They're tryin' to get their name back on the map. It isn't going to happen. They're definitely gonna lose." 

"Of course Sting!" Lector announced. "They don't stand a chance against you!" 

"Fro thinks so too," Frosch said around a yawn. 

Rogue looked down rubbing their back as they closed their eyes, falling asleep. He raised his eyebrow at Sting as the other dragon slayer began pacing. Years of friendship be damned, he'd knock him out if he woke Frosch up. The little exceed could be a pain in the ass if they didn't get enough sleep. 

Sting sighed running his fingers through his hair. 

"That does it. We're gonna have to train harder than normal this year." 

"To impress Fairy Tail?" 

"No! What?! No, to beat them of course." 

"I thought you said there was no way they were going to win? Why would we have to try harder to defeat them?" Rogue thought that was a reasonable question, but the look that crossed Sting's face made him question his own logic. 

"Would you stop being difficult for once?!" Sting cried out moving closer. 

Frosch jumped in their sleep and Rogue touched their back gently to calm them. 

"If you wake Frosch up, you will regret it," he said softly as Sting stepped closer. 

Sting swallowed slowly as he took in Rogue's expression. Rogue rarely showed any emotions on his face, but the expression that crossed Rogue's face was pure anger. Rogue was extremely protective of his exceed, even more than Sting was of Lector. It was as if Frosch was Rogue's child. Sometimes Rogue treated Frosch as if they were a new born. He did crazy things for Frosch that Sting would never have thought to do for Lector, like the frog costume. It wasn't Rogue's fault the damn exceed though they were a frog. 

"Just listen to me Rogue," Sting finally said, leaning in closer. "We have to make this our best competition year. We have to show Fairy Tail there's no way they're taking the number one spot from us." 

Rogue's breath caught in his throat as Sting moved in closer. He was close enough that Rogue feel his breath across his cheek. Space had never been an issue between the two of them. Unlike other people in their lives, they'd always been comfortable moving within limited amounts of space. A lot of people had commented on their lack of personal space around each other. Over the last couple years, they'd adjusted to more proper spatial arrangements, mostly to avoid the wrath of Jiemma. Jiemma had always considered their friendship a weakness instead of a strength. He believed caring about someone else made a wizard weak and did everything to beat that philosophy into the minds of his guild members, including his own daughter. He would kill Rogue for how he felt about Sting being so close to him. 

Rogue's hands itched with the urge to pull Sting in closer. It'd been that way for weeks. Sting would go on one of his tirades and Rogue would be fighting his urge to pull him into his arms. 

"If you say so Sting." He finally replied. 

"Thank you!" Sting cried out, finally backing away from him, and Rogue let out a breath of relief. 

Sting was going to drive him insane. The other dragon slayers obliviousness was ridiculous. It should be impossible for him to be as good a wizard as he was with out clueless he was to things going on around him. However, once he was in a battle, he had laser sharp focus. Outside of competitions and fights, Sting was about as blind as he could get. It was one of the things Rogue found endearing about him. He could be overbearing a bit hard to handle, but he had his moments that made him unique from anyone else they knew. Sting was unapologetic-ally himself, and Rogue wouldn't have him any other way. 

Rogue gave him a tight lipped smile, focusing his attention on Frosch. At least the little exceed could keep him distracted from his thoughts about Sting. Thoughts that had become all too common recently. He'd always known his feelings for Sting were different than what they were supposed to be, but lately that attraction had only gotten stronger and Rogue wasn't sure he could keep fighting his own feelings. Sting was bound to notice eventually and then the truth would all come out. It was better for him to face them on his own, at least then he would lose Sting on his own terms rather than having Sting walk away in anger. There was no way Sting would keep him in his life if he knew how he felt. He couldn't. Sting had a mate out there and couldn't stay with Rogue to appease him. He would need to find his mate. That was the life of a dragon slayer. Trying to keep Sting from his mate would be nothing short of greedy. 

Rogue glanced back up at Sting and felt a small flush spread across his cheeks. Oh there were days where he wished he could be greedy. Days where he wanted to be wrapped in Sting's arms and be able to hold him in ways that have been denied him for years, hold him in ways that Rogue had only ever been able to dream about. 

"Rogue? What's wrong?"

Rogue glanced up quickly as Sting stared at him in confusion. 

"Nothing." 

"Then come on, lets get out there. We gotta start training." 

Rogue glanced down at the exceed sleeping in his lap and then back up at Sting slowly. 

"Do you want to be the bad guy that woke Frosch up?"

"I'm sure you can move without waking Frosch up."

Rogue sighed, gently moving the exceed to his pillow. Hopefully they wouldn't be too frightened when they woke up and everyone was gone. They'd just be in the courtyard sparring knowing Sting. That was the only real training Sting ever did. He never worked on anything but his fighting style. 

"You do realize we have three months to prepare right?"

"That means three months of training. Fairy Tail doesn't stand a chance!" 

"Didn't you already say that?"

Sting frowned glancing at Rogue out the corner of his eye. Rogue had always been difficult, but it seemed as if he was being more difficult lately. Once again, he felt as if Rogue was hiding something from him. He'd been more defensive than usual and Sting didn't like it. He wanted his old friend back. Sure, Rogue had always been a little reserved and withdrawn, but Sting could live with that. He had been for years, but lately it seemed as if Rogue was pulling away from even him. It was unlikely that the shadow dragon slayer would tell him what was bothering him. If he wanted Sting to know he would have told him immediately. Sting sighed shaking his head. 

"Let's just get started." 

"Sure," Rogue agreed, following him out to the fields.

Anyone else in the guild could train in the courtyard, but Jiemma had ordered them to hold their training off guild property. He'd gotten tired of repairing the damage their attacks had caused the guild hall. The last straw had been the Sting sized hole that had been left in their kitchen wall. Rogue could still hear the screaming fit they'd gotten from Minerva due to the soup that had been spilled on top of her head. Rogue was pretty sure they'd been lucky to escape with their lives. Minerva still barely spoke to them unless she needed something from them and Sting and Rogue did their best to stay out of her way. She could be even more intimidating than her father and they weren't looking for trouble within Sabertooth's walls. They liked to keep all their enemies outside of their guild. 

Rogue shook himself out of his memories before joining Sting on the training field. At least the Grand Magic Games would keep him distracted from his own problems for awhile. 


	2. Training Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ["Alive" Adelitas Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRs-1QVo4_M)

"I need to take a break." 

Sting landed on the ground, staring at Rogue as if he had grown two more heads. 

"Aw come on! You can't be worn out already!"

Rogue ignored Sting, walking away, wiping the sweat from his forehead. 

"Rogue! Come on!" 

"Just give me a minute Sting." 

"We need to get our training in!" 

"We've been training non-stop for a month, a five minute break isn't going to ruin that." 

Sting turned away shaking his head exasperated as Rogue bent down to pick up his water bottle. Rogue ignored him glancing up at the sky. 

"It's going to storm."

"Which is why we should get more training in, before the storms interrupt it."

Rogue couldn't resist the smirk that crossed his face. 

"You wouldn't let the storm stop you." 

Sting looked up at the sky and then back to him with a laugh. 

"No, probably not." 

Rogue shook his head putting his water bottle down, before taking a second to untie his cape, tossing it on the ground. 

"Look at that Sting, Rogue's gettin' ready for a serious battle!" 

"I see that Lector." 

"We going all out?" Rogue asked, planting his feet carefully on the ground.

"You bet," Sting said with a smirk, stepping forward. 

Rogue smirked slowly watching the magic spread around Sting in waves. Someone going into Dragon force was a beautiful thing to watch. Rogue had always thought so, even when he was a child. The first time Sting had gone into Dragon force in front of him, he was mesmerized. It had cost him the battle they were fighting at the time. He'd been too distracted by Sting to even fight. He'd learned his lesson since then. Dragon force was a beautiful sight on its own, but someone fighting while in Dragon force was an experience that was wholly unique. 

He took a deep breath and tapped into Dragon force himself, letting the shadow's fill the air around him. 

"Bout time you got with the picture!" Sting cried out. "I thought you fell asleep on me over there!" 

Rogue shook his head, before letting himself slide into the shadow's away from Sting's eyesight. It was something he learned a long time ago. Sting could make him fist for fist on the battle field, their timing had always been perfect, but he couldn't find Rogue when he disappeared into the shadows. He had the attention span of a fish and couldn't concentrate enough to search for him. 

He slipped back into view just in time to land a blow on Sting's cheek, before fading away again. 

"That was low Rogue! Even for you!" Sting called out, looking for him along the ground. 

"I thought you said anything goes."

Sting growled turning in a circle. Rogue was right. He had said anything goes, but he hated when Rogue used his shadow bull shit on him. Sting knew if he tried hard enough he could probably find him, but it was a frustrating process. When they were on the same team, he loved Rogue's ability to fade into shadow. It made pairing up against other targets so much easier. Rogue became his secret weapon, but one on one, when they were facing each other, nothing drove Sting up the wall more. Finally he caught a glimpse of Rogue's shadow creeping up the base of a tree. 

"White Dragon Roar!" 

Rogue had just enough time to dodge before Sting’s attack hit the line, leaving stumps in his path.

Rogue turned his attention back to Sting, ready to fight, but Sting was already there and he found himself dodging a flurry of blows. This was when they were at their best. No one could push them to their limits like they did each other. No one else could keep up with them. Not even Orga’s God Slayer magic could defeat them. They knew each other's strengths and weaknesses, and could usually predict each other's next moves in battle. It was how they made such a great team. They knew how to read each other's actions and did not have to voice their strategy.

Sting smirked as Rogue jumped, trying to avoid his attacks. He rushed after him, feeling the adrenaline flow through his veins. Even if it was just a practice sparring, training for the games, there was nothing he enjoyed more than a great battle. Even if Rogue didn't understand his need to continue his intensive practicing, he would give him a great fight.

A well placed White Dragon Claw knocked Rogue to the ground, panting as he looked up at him. Sting smirked landing beside him, waiting for Rogue to get up so they could finish their fight when the rain started. Sting blinked in surprise looking up, watching lightning flash across the sky. Rogue stood pushing his drenched hair back from his face looking around.

“It went from clear to all hell breaking  two seconds,” Sting called to him over the thunder.

“We should probably get back to the guild hall,” Rogue said, looking over to Frosch and Lector who were running towards them, tears filling Frosch’s eyes.

“We still have a fight to finish!”

“In two minutes we won't be able to walk in this valley, let alone fight,” Rogue reasoned.

Without waiting for a reply, Rogue picked Frosch up and started walking back to the guild. String grumbled picking Lector up, hurrying after him.

“You know if this was the games, we'd still be fighting!”

“Well, Dormus Flau is concrete, and this is just practice.”

Sting frowned looking at Lector who just shook his head. He sighed giving up, he was the only one who wanted to fight and if his ears weren't deceiving him, which they usually didn't, Frosch was crying. There was no way Rogue was going to stay outside if the storm scared Frosch.

By time they reached the guild hall, they were all drenched. Sting sighed, putting Lector down, pulling off his short jacket to start wringing it out.

“I'm gonna take Frosch upstairs to dry off.”

Rogue didn't wait for a reply, carrying Frosch upstairs quickly. Sting frowned looking down at Lector.

“What's gotten into him?”

“Beats me.”

Sting frowned in confusion before shrugging, heading for the bathroom so he could dry off.

* * *

Rogue sighed setting Frosch on his bed gently looking down at the exceed.

“Are you okay?”

Frosch sniffled a bit before looking up at him and nodding.  

Rogue nodded, stepping away from the bed, going to his closet to pair out a fresh pair of clothes. He went to untie his cloak and sighed. 

"Damn it." 

He'd left his cloak lying on the ground. He'd have to remember to go get it in the morning. He wasn't going back in the storm at this rate. Frosch's fear of thunder was enough to stop him. The poor exceed had been trembling by time they'd stepped back into the guild hall. He'd been so wrapped up in his battle with Sting he'd forgotten he'd taken his cloak off in the first place, which wasn't like him. Sting was the one who left things scattered about all the time, forgetting where he'd put even the most important items. 

Rogue shook his head peeling his shirt off, and beginning to remove his shin guards. It was times like this when he regretted wearing so much fabric. However, the metal shin guards certainly gave him an advantage when it came to battles. Most people didn't have enough magic power to strike him through the metal. He placed the metal shin guards on the floor and stood up to remove his pants when the door flew open and Yukino burst into the room. 

"Y...Yukino...can I help you?"

"Rogue...Oh God, I'm so sorry. I...I'll let you change," she said flushed hurrying out the room. 

Rogue frowned pulling on a dry shirt, hurrying after her. 

"What is it Yukino?"

Yukino paused down the hallway turning to him. 

"I...Master Jiemma just told me Minerva won't be back to compete in the games..."

"And?"

"He wants me to take her place."

Rogue frowned slowly. He could see that this was upsetting to her, but he really didn't understand why. 

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"What if I'm not good enough?!" 

Rogue sighed, leading her back to the room. If Jiemma heard her, he'd make her life hell. There wasn't room for doubts in Sabertooth. It was a sign of weakness and Jiemma would certainly get rid of her if he felt she was weak. He motioned for her to sit on his bed and Frosch immediately curled up in her lap. 

"Hello Frosch," she murmured, scratching Frosch's ears through the frog costume. 

"Give me a few seconds to finish changing into dry clothes okay?" 

"Sure," Yukino replied softly. 

Rogue sighed stepping out to change into a pair of dry pants. He wasn't sure why Yukino came to him, he'd barely spoken to her or any of his other guild members for that matter. None of the guild mates were especially close, a fact that was encouraged by Jiemma. He wanted them to keep competing in order to prove who was the strongest. He felt that if they were friends they wouldn't have any encouragement to push each other. The only reason why Sting and Rogue were allowed to be as close as they were without any fear of rebuff is that they never lost a match. 

After changing he joined Yukino back in the room he scared with Sting, sitting beside her on the bed, clearing his throat awkwardly. He wasn't used to talking to anyone besides Sting, and he had no clue how to comfort anyone, especially when he wasn't sure why they were upset in the first place. Sting was never one to get emotional, not since they were small boys. 

"So...why exactly are you upset about being in the tournament?" He figured straight to the point would be the best strategy. 

"What if I let Sabertooth down?" She asked softly. 

"What do you mean?"

"Minerva is so much stronger than I am. There's no way I could live up to her."

"No one can. She's Jiemma's daughter. He trained her on his own." 

"What if I lose?" she asked, playing with a lose thread on her bed. 

"That...you can't let that happen Yukino." 

Yukino turned to look at him quickly and Rogue swallowed. He didn't want to scare her, but he knew what would happen if Yukino lost. Jiemma only wanted people who won in his guild. He wouldn't allow a newcomer like Yukino ruin his guild's reputation. 

"You have to train, as hard as you can, and make sure you are strong enough to win in the Tournament." 

Yukino swallowed, her eyes filling with tears, and Rogue sighed putting his hand on her arm slowly. 

"Why did you join Sabertooth Yukino?"

"I...I wanted to get stronger." 

"Why?" 

Yukino frowned looking back down at Frosch, scratching their ears slowly. 

"I wanted to find my sister..." she began softly. "She was kidnapped when we were children by some of Zeref's followers. I wanted to be able hunt them down and stop them. My sister is all I have. She's the only one left of my family and I'm not even sure she's alive." 

Rogue swallowed, squeezing her arm gently. He didn't know what to say to her. He was never good with words. He always let Sting do the talking, even if he was crude at times. He'd always preferred to keep to himself. However, he wished at the moment he had the words to comfort Yukino. He remembered what it was like to be alone. He'd been alone for a long time after Skiadrum died.  _After he killed him_ , he mentally corrected himself. It didn't matter how many times he told himself that Skiadurm had wanted to die by his hands instead of his own illness, the knowledge that he had killed his own father left him cold. 

He cleared his throat, focusing back on Yukino. 

"Sting and I...we're orphans too," he said softly, and then cursed himself for his stupidity. Yukino wouldn't want to hear that. 

"You are?" she asked, looking up at him slowly. 

Rogue nodded looking away from her, his hair falling in front of his eyes. 

"We were raised by Dragons. Most people don't believe us, but we were." He said softly. "My dragon...My father's name was Skiadrum. He was a Shadow Dragon. He's the one that taught me Shadow Dragon Slayer magic, just like Weisslogia, Sting's father, taught him White Dragon Slayer magic." 

"I thought Dragons hated humans?" 

"I'm sure some do...but not all." Rogue said quietly. "Skiadrum was incredibly kind. He raised me. I don't remember my birth parents, neither does Sting. All we remember are Skiadrum and Weisslogia." 

"And they taught you everything?" 

"Even to read and write." 

"That's amazing," Yukino said softly. "W...what happened? If you don't mind me asking."

"He...he died when I was younger," Rogue said softly, swallowing back the tears that threatened to fill his eyes. He would not cry over Skiadrum in front of Yukino. The only one who understood how he felt about Skiadrum was Sting. "Actually...I...he was ill, and so asked me to kill him." 

Yukino gasped, staring at him in shock. Rogue forced himself to look away again. He could only imagine how she felt about him now that she knew he was responsible for her own father's death. He swallowed moving to get up, but Yukino reached out touching his arm, stopping him. Rogue turned to her slowly and he found himself engulfed in a hug. Rogue sat stunned as Yukino's arms wrapped around him tightly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been hugged by anyone, not even Sting. It just wasn't something he did. He swallowed slowly resting his hands on Yukino's back. 

"That must have been so horrible Rogue! I know you and Sting are famous for having killed a dragon before...but your father..." she exclaimed holding him tight. "You must feel so guilty."

Rogue blinked trying to figure out what to say to make Yukino pull away. He knew he should appreciate her kindness, and her understanding, but he really just wanted her to step back. 

"I..." Rogue started, but Yukino cut him off. 

"I'm so sorry Rogue," she said softly leaning back to look up at him. "You must have been so scared when it happened. I'm glad you and Sting have each other. I would hate to think of you being alone after something like that."

Rogue swallowed, opening his mouth to reply, as the bedroom door opened. 

"Oh...am I interrupting?"

Rogue went cold at the sign of Sting's voice. He pulled back from Yukino's hug slowly, clearing his throat. 

"No, it's fine." 

"Are you sure...I mean, I'd hate to interrupt a personal moment." 

Yukino's cheeks flushed, and she stood up quickly. 

"It's not like that. We were just talking." she said, turning back to Rogue. "Thank you for the talk." 

Rogue nodded slowly, and she hurried out room, Sting turning to watch her go. 

"So...you and Yukino huh? Can't say much about your taste, but at least she seems nice." Sting said lightly. 

"Drop it Sting. We were just talking." 

Sting frowned leaning against the wall looking at Rogue. Rogue still hadn't turned to look at him, and something about his voice sounded off. 

"Really? Cause that was a pretty tight embrace. I guess Yukino likes the strong silent types." 

Rogue groaned shaking his head. Sting could see Rogue's shoulders growing tense, and knew he should drop the subject, but for some reason he wanted to keep pressing. He didn't like the way Yukino had been holding Rogue, as if she belonged there. Rogue didn't need anyone else. He had Sting, they were better off on their own. 

"Sting..." 

Rogue turned to look at Lector, who was staring at Sting confused. 

"Yes Lector?" Sting asked as he stalked into the room. 

"Why are you angry at Rogue?" 

"I'm not angry with Rogue." 

"You're acting like it." 

"Fro thinks so too." 

"Yukino just came in here to talk about the Grand Magic Games. Jiemma chose her to replace Minerva. She was worried about letting the guild down." Rogue said with a shrug, turning to look at him, as he headed for the door. "Not that it's any of your business." 

Sting frowned, watching as Rogue walked out of the bedroom. 

"Well...you made him mad." 

"I know Lector." 

"Why?"

"I dunno." 

"Well, that's dumb." 

"Drop it," Sting growled, collapsing on his bed. 

Rogue would clam down and come back shortly. He couldn't stay mad at Sting for long, not with how long they've known each other. Besides, what'd he expect with how strange he'd been acting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Rogue may seem out of character in the scene with Yukino, but his reaction to her excommunication always sits with me. He was deeply troubled by what Jiemma had done to her, and it always made me wonder if he had befriended her, despite the atmosphere for their guild.


	3. Losing Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been working on this chapter since August 26th but Sting just didn't want to cooperate with me. :D I hope you guys enjoy! I look forward to your reactions.
> 
> [ Not in That Way ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw7_5wOOApQ) by Sam Smith
> 
> One of my favorite songs and it certainly suits Rogue at the moment.

 "Thanks for helping me train Rogue." 

Rogue looked over at Yukino with a small smile shaking his head. 

"It's no big deal." 

They were sitting in a small alcove in the back of the Sabertooth guild hall. It was a place Rogue often visited when he wanted to get away from his guild mates. The space was just large enough for the chairs the two of them were occupying with a small table between them. Rogue was certain the alcove was used for games like chess and cards when the guild was a friendlier place. 

For the moment Rogue was letting Yukino use the space to increase her magical power for the Grand Magic Games. Any time she was caught trying to meditate in front of her guild mates she faced jeers and insults instead of the encouragement she should have received from the others. Unlike most wizards, Celestial Spirit mages couldn't train their bodies and hope that their magical power increased. They needed to train their body from the inside out. Their greatest strength was the about of magical power they could contain in their body. The only way to increase their magical power was through meditation. Rogue was the only one in the guild who seemed to understand that even though it looked like Yukino wasn't training, she was training just as hard, if not harder, than her guild mates. Eventually he took pity on her and offered to help her train her ability to maintain focus by acting as a distracting while she was meditating, focusing on her magical core and the need for that core to increase. 

"It's a big deal to me," Yukino said softly, glancing down at her lap. 

"It is?" 

"Well, you could be like all the other guild members. I know what they think of my magic and what they say about Celestial Spirit wizards."

Rogue gave her an encouraging smile as he called upon the shadows around them. 

"Well, you'll just have to prove them wrong at the games then, huh?" he asked softly. "Let's try one more time."

Yukino nodded quickly, returning to sitting in the lotus style position, her elbows resting on her thighs. Rogue smirked slowly, feeling the magical power around them increase greatly as her eyes closed. He know Yukino couldn't tell, but her magical power had already increased greatly in just the few short weeks they'd been training together. By time they got to the games, Yukino was going to be a formidable foe for anyone. 

He waited quietly as he saw her eyebrows begin to draw together, signaling that she was beginning to focus all of her energy on her magical core. HE took a deep breath and faded into the shadows around them. He wouldn't attack her as strongly as he would an enemy or Sting if they were training together, but then, he wasn't trying to defeat her. His job was simply to distract her. Over the years Rogue had learned how to use the shadows to make his presence known to his enemies without them ever really knowing he was there. It was the chill they felt on the back of their neck or the goose bumps that rose on their arms that caused the hair to rise that alerted them to his presence. An awareness that they were being stalked as if they were prey and they couldn't even see the enemy. That was the ability he called upon know. All he wanted was to cause a trickle of awareness to run up Yukino's spine, making her feel as if she were in a fish bowl, being watched from all sides. The first few times they'd trained together, her concentration broke within moments, unable to focus when she felt as if she were being watched. However, over the last few weeks she'd gotten better at ignoring his presence and Rogue was constantly pouring a little more magical power into his presence. He'd make himself feel a little more threatening, and when he saw the hair on Yukino's arms begin to rise he smirked to himself, waiting for her to break. 

It took longer than he expected before he heard her gasp for air as her eyes flew open. She looked up at him breathless and wide eyed as he stepped from the shadows in front of her. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine. That was just more intense than usual," she said with a small laugh. "Why do you even need to fight? Your presence alone could defeat your enemies." 

"Not everyone can be manipulated by the shadows," he told her with a small shrug. "You did extremely well today." 

Yukino's cheeks turned slightly pink at his praise as looked away from him. 

"You know, you're not like anyone else here," she said softly. 

"What do you mean?"

"I joined Sabertooth because it was the strongest guild in Fiore. I wanted to be strong for myself and my sister. I wanted to be able to take on the evil of those that follow Zeref, and while I didn't necessarily join this guild to make friends, I didn't expect everyone to be so...cold." 

"Cold?" 

"Rogue, I've been in Sabertooth for a year now. Aside from Rufus who remembers everything, you and Sting are the only members who know my name." 

Rogue glanced at her slowly at a loss for words. Her voice sounded so subdued and he didn't know what to say to bring her usual cheerfulness back. He'd known Sabertooth wasn't like other guilds. There was no sense of belonging or family within Sabertooth's halls but he'd thought he was the only one who was unhappy with the direction of the guild. 

"Yukino..." he started, but cut himself off, unsure what he was trying to say. 

"I guess I'm just trying to say I'm thankful that we've gotten to know each other," Yukino said softly, reaching out putting her hand on top of his. 

Rogue glanced down at their hands quickly before looking up at Yukino. Her cheeks were no longer tinged pink, instead she was blushing in full and Rogue fought against the panic that he felt rising. 

"S...So am I," he told her quietly. 

It was true that he was grateful for her friendship. They'd grown closer in the past few weeks, and Rogue had grown to depend on her cheerful presence at his side. With Sting acting strangely, Yukino helped him forget how lonely it was not to have the other dragon slayer by his side. Her friendship was a comfort he didn't even know he needed. 

"Rogue...I..." 

Rogue glanced back at her slowly, swallowing a bit. He was certain he knew what she was going to say and he didn't know what he should say. 

"Yes?" 

Yukino flushed again looking down at the floor. 

"Yukino?"

Rogue gave her hand a comforting squeeze. It wasn't like Yukino to be at a loss of words, and even though the idea of her speaking what was on her mind terrified him, he didn't like seeing her so unsure of herself. He heard Yukino take a deep breath before raising her head. 

"I'm horrible with words, so..."

Rogue didn't have time to wonder what Yukino meant before she was leaning forward to close the small distance between them. 

* * *

Sting looked down at the job flyer in his hand as he made his way through the guild. Normally he wouldn't be looking for a job so close to the Grand Magic Games, but he felt the need to get away from his guild mates. He could feel himself gathering restless energy and he needed to find a way to burn it before he exploded on everyone around him. The job was simple enough that he and Rogue could finish it within a week and return to training for the games. Not that they'd gotten much training done with all the time Rogue was spending with the Celestial Spirit mage. Sting could feel his lip curling at the thought of her. He didn't understand why Rogue was suddenly so interested in her. In the seven years since they'd joined Sabertooth Rogue had never shown any interest in any of their fellow guild mates. It was always Sting and Rogue against the world and now all the sudden he and Yukino were attached at the hip. It didn't make any sense. It wasn't like Yukino was Rogue's mate. Rogue would have told him if it were something that serious. 

Sting sighed pushing his racing thoughts away before turning down the corridor. Rogue hadn't been in the entrance room of the guild hall, which meant he was hiding out in the small cubbyhole he'd claimed as his own over the years. It wasn't entirely uncommon to find Rogue sitting in one of the chairs reading with Frosch curled up in his lap or more recently, sitting in there with Yukino while she meditated. IT was a short walk from the entrance of Sabertooth to Rogue's alcove, but when Sting finally caught sight of it, he stopped dead in his tracks while a growl rose unbidden to his lips, his fist curling around the job flyer in his hand. Rogue was joined by Yukino, as had been the case for the past few weeks. However, this time she had her hands on the dragon slayers cheeks, kissing him deeply. 

"Oh dear," a voiced called out behind him. "It looks like you've been replaced. 

Sting turned quickly to see Rufus leaning on the wall behind him, looking out at him from under the brim of his hat. 

"What do you want Rufus?" he bit out slowly. 

"If I remember correctly, and let's face it, I usually do," Rufus began, with a small smirk on his face. "There was once a time when Rogue wouldn't deem to help another guild member. That place was yours and yours alone. And you two were never that close...unless you two kept that part of your relationship hidden behind locked doors." 

Sting could feel the rage swirling in his gut at Rufus' words. Rogue couldn't replace him and would never want to replace him. They were a packaged deal, they always had been and they always would be, no matter what was going on with Rogue's relationship with Yukino. 

"You don't know what you're talking about Rufus." 

"Don't I? The picture looks pretty clear to me," the other man said with a smirk. "It seems the Dragon Slayer Duo is a mere memory of the past." 

Sting swung at Rufus quickly, but the Memory Make wizard dodged his attacks easily. 

"What did you expect Sting? For Rogue to be content to live in your shadow forever? He may be a shadow dragon slayer, but he craves the light the way any of us do. It seems Yukino has shown him that, and he won't soon forget it." 

Sting growled, lunging at the memory make wizard. Jiemma could be angry at him for the damage to the guild later. Right now he was more worried about making the blond pay for his words. He would regret every poisoned syllable that came from his lips. Rufus didn't know a damn thing about he and Rogue. He didn't know what they'd been through, and he certainly didn't understand their friendship. 

"Don't talk about things you don't understand," he growled out as he swung towards Rufus, who quickly jumped out the way. 

"Oh, but I think I do understand. More than you. You just don't want to see the truth." 

Sting spun, landing a well aimed kick in the memory make wizard's side, throwing him into the wall. 

* * *

Rogue was frozen in his spot, unable to move. He could feel Yukino's hands on his cheeks and her lips against his and it all felt so wrong to him. He wanted to grab her by her shoulders and throw her back from him but his limbs felt as if they were made of lead. He couldn't make himself move despite how desperately he wanted to get away from her kiss. He hadn't expected the celestial spirit mage to make a move on him, even though it was obvious by her actions that she wanted to confess feelings for him. Yukino had always seemed so shy and at the most he only expected her to admit feelings for him, not for her to kiss him. 

After entirely too long, he managed to get his arms to cooperate and push her back from him as gently as possible. The white haired girl looked up at him, cheeks flushing bright red and he felt his heart ache in his chest for her. There was no way he could reciprocate her feelings, but it broke his heart to hurt her. 

"Yukino...I..."

Rogue's words were cut off as he heard a loud crash coming from the hallway behind him. He jumped up quickly, hurrying out the alcove with Yukino following on his heels. He skidded to a stop when he saw Sting, his face a mask of rage, towering over Rufus, who was crumpled on the floor. 

"What the hell are you thinking Sting?! What happened?!" he exclaimed, reaching down to help the memory make wizard to his feet. 

"He was getting on my nerves." 

Rogue stared at Sting in shock as Rufus fixed his clothing, glaring at the white dragon slayer. 

"You're going to regret that dragon slayer," he hissed as he shoved past him. "I promise you, I will not forget." 

Rogue watched him walk away before turning to Sting exasperated. 

"You can't just go around attacking guild mates!" 

"Why not? We need to train don't we?"

Rogue's jaw worked furiously as he tried to find the words to respond, but nothing would come out. 

"We don't have time for this. We have to pack."

"Pack?" 

"Yeah, we got a job to do." 

"Since when?" 

"I accepted it this afternoon. We need to be in Clover Town in a few days." 

"The Grand Magic Games are in a couple weeks. We never accept jobs this close to the games."

"Well, this year I did." 

"Without asking me?"

"Why should I? We're the Dragon Slayer Duo, we work together." 

Rogue bit back the growl rising in his throat as he felt the rage swell up inside him. 

"Take someone else." 

"What?" 

"I said Take. Someone. Else." 

Rogue didn't waste a second on Sting's bewildered expression. He shouldered past him quickly, heading for the stairs. He didn't need to look behind him to know that Yukino was hurrying to keep up with him. He could hear her heels clicking on the stairs as she climbed up behind him. Part of him was extremely grateful that she was worried about him, but another part of him wanted to tell her to get lost. He couldn't deal with her feelings at the moment. Not when his mind was swirling with thoughts of Sting. He'd never seen Sting look at anyone like he had looked at Rufus. In that moment, Rogue could believe Sting would kill Rufus without a seconds hesitation. 

He hurried into the room he shared with Yukino, shutting and locking the door behind him. It wouldn't keep Sting out indefinitely, but he hoped it got the message across that he didn't quite want to talk to the other dragon slayer at the moment. He threw himself on the bed with a sigh, closing his eyes. He felt the side of his mattress sink slightly as Yukino sat beside him, and opened one eye to look at him. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Sure." 

Yukino frowned, reaching out to brush some of Rogue's hair out of his eyes. 

"Let's try that again, without you lying to me. Are you okay?"

 He sighed, shaking his head. 

"I just don't understand what's wrong with him," he said, feeling the anger start to ebb a bit. He could never be too angry with Sting for an extended amount of time, but he was worried about him. "We share a room and yet we've barely spoken in the last few weeks. Now he just expects me to pack a job and leave with him because he said so? I'm not just some loyal puppy. He didn't used to treat me like this."

Yukino stretched out beside him looking up at the ceiling quietly. Rogue could practically see the gears turning her head, even if her face was indecipherable. 

"Before we heard their fight, after I kissed you, you were going to tell me you didn't feel the same weren't you?"

Rogue turned to look at her quickly. He hadn't expected the quick change in subject and had to collect himself before he could answer. 

"What makes you say that?"

He wasn't sure why he was even trying to hide it, he'd already decided to tell her he didn't have feelings for her before they'd been interrupted by the fight. There was no way he'd feel for her what he felt for Sting, and he knew that for a fact. He enjoyed spending time with her, and her presence at his side was comforting, but she was more like a sister to him than anything. 

"Because I saw the way you looked at him Rogue." She said with a small smile, turning to look at him. "You looked at Sting as if you were starved for him. You see him every day, and yet, you couldn't take your eyes off him. And then there's the way you reacted to him. You want to be with him." 

Rogue swallowed, as he sat up slowly, turning to look away from her. 

"It doesn't matter." 

"Yes it does. You deserve to be happy," she said, sitting up, placing her hand on his shoulder. 

Rogue turned to her confused. He hadn't expected the instant support from her. 

"It doesn't bother you?" 

"That you're gay? No. I mean...it sucks, because you're an amazing person, but it's not something you can help. You're still my friend. Honestly, the only friend I have." 

Rogue gave her a sad smile, reaching down to give her hand a squeeze. 

"Thank you." 

"But you need to go on this job with Sting." 

"What? What about your training?" 

"I'll be fine Rogue. But you and Sting won't be. I've heard stories about the two of you. Nothing has ever come between you two before, and now you're always fighting. You guys have to fix this. You need each other." 

Rogue frowned looking down at the mattress, unable to voice the fear in his chest. He knew he needed to fix whatever was broken between he and Sting, he just didn't know how. It was his fault they were falling apart like they were. He couldn't stand to be around Sting anymore. No matter how hard he tried, he found it harder and harder to resist his feelings around the other dragon slayer. It was like he was being pulled on a string towards him and was powerless to resist. He found himself constantly fighting the urge to pull the blonde into his arms, hold him tight, kiss him and he wasn't sure how much longer he could resist those feelings. 

"I'm not sure I can go on a job with him," he finally admitted. 

"Why not?" 

"Because, I can't be around him and not want to act on my feelings for him. I'm not sure if I can control myself much longer, and being near him and not being with him is torture."

Rogue could feel his cheeks flushing at the confession, but she deserved to know. 

"Maybe you shouldn't resist your feelings." 

"What?"

"Rogue, there's a reason why Sting can't stand me. We got along fine until he started thing you and I were an item. Ever since then he has gotten worse and worse to be around. And he and Rufus got into a fight right when I kissed you. I don't think that's a coincidence." 

Rogue looked at her as he considered her words. Was it possible that Sting was jealous? He had started acting strangely just after Yukino and Rogue started bonding. He was never found of the celestial spirit mage, but he'd never been mean to her before, and now he couldn't stand being in the same room as her. Could he have feelings for Rogue? Rogue stamped down furiously on the hope that began to blossom in his chest. He couldn't let himself get carried away and read too much into Sting's actions. He would only get himself hurt that way. 

"Just promise me you'll talk to him. You don't even have to tell him how you feel, just try and fix whatever is going on with you two. I'd hate for your friendship to fall apart. You'd be lost without each other." 

Rogue swallowed before nodding at her. 

"I will Yukino." 

"Good," she said with a smile. 

The celestial spirit mage reached up to ruffle his hair playfully before standing up from the bed and walking to the door. Rogue watched her walk out before collapsing back on the bed with a groan. It was nice to have someone who knew about his feelings for Sting, but he had no idea what he was going to say to the other dragon slayer to fix things. 

* * *

"Sting! Wait up!" 

Sting froze, turning his head slightly with a small growl as he saw Yukino running down the front steps of the guild hall. He was on his way to the training field he and Rogue used, and he certainly did not want to deal with the celestial spirit mage. However, he couldn't pretend not to hear her when he was a dragon slayer. 

"What?"

The white haired girl came to a stop in front of him, panting to catch her breath. 

"You need to go see Rogue. He really needs to talk to you."

"What? Are you his messenger now that you two are an item?"

"We're not an item." 

'Certainly seemed that way earlier."

Sting watched as something flashed across her face that looked like triumph and he had to fight down the urge to attack her. Nothing good would come from attacking someone Rogue actually cared about, although why he cared about her, Sting had no clue. 

"Appearances can be deceiving," she finally said with a smirk. "Rogue isn't into me. Now, are you going to go talk to him or are you two going to keep pouting like children while your friendship crumbles at your feet."

Yukino didn't give him a chance to reply. She turned on her heel and ran back to the guild hall at top speed. She was a lot smarter than Sting would have given her credit for, because had she stool there much longer, he wasn't sure he'd have been able to keep his anger in check. He took a few deep breaths to calm down before slowly making his way back to the guild hall. He did need to talk to Rogue. It had become increasingly difficult over the last few weeks for him to speak the dragon slayer, and it bothered him more than he was wiling to admit. They'd never had trouble communicating in the past, and he didn't want that to change. 

He walked up the main stair case of the guild hall slowly, feeling like a prisoner walking towards the executioner block. Rogue had been so mad at him when he'd see Sting had attacked Rufus and heard about the job. Sting couldn't even say why he got so angry at Rufus. The man had always enjoyed riling the other guild members up, it was what he did best. He took another deep breath before opening the door to their room, stepping inside to see Rogue stretched across his with his eyes closed. 

"Hey." 

Rogue opened his eyes slowly looking up at him. 

"You seem more calm." 

"Barely." 

"Guess I better make this quick before you lose control huh? I'll go with you on the job."

Sting looled at him confused, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"What about your girlfriend?"

Rogue frowned at him, his eyes narrowing a bit. 

"We aren't dating. Yukino knows I don't have feelings for her."

Yukino had already told him that Rogue wasn't interested in her, but hearing it from Rogue himself made it seem more real to Sting. Rogue would never lie to him, but he couldn't say the same about Yukino, especially if she thought she was protecting Rogue. A tightness that he didn't realize had gathered in his chest suddenly loosened up. He felt lighter than he had in weeks. 

He swallowed briefly looking at the ground. 

"I'm sorry for losing my temper, and I'm sorry for not clearing the job with you." 

Rogue shrugged, climbing out of his bed, putting his hand on Sting's shoulder. 

"I'm used to you being an impulsive idiot at this point."

Sting forced a laugh trying to ignore the warmth that spread from where Rogue's hand touched his shoulder. Things finally felt like there were getting back to normal, he couldn't ruin it by acting strange.

"Guess we better get packed to go then, huh?

Rogue gave him a small smile before walking towards the closet. Sting resolutely ignored the way his stomach turned into knots at the sight of the smile he hadn't seen in weeks.

 


	4. What do you mean "It's just Vulcans"?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ::waves meekly:: Hi? I am so, so very sorry for the wait. I know I said I would update more often, but after the election, I fell into a pretty intense depression. Things are pretty bleak for me and friends of mine who are minorities. So, I was greatly affected by the political climate, especially when hate crimes began happening on my campus. Just when I started to pull out of that, I entered my last semester of undergrad studies and was consumed by my senior assignment. Followed immediately by graduate school and a second job to pay for student loans. However, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Got a bit of writer's block I'm trying to work through, but I'm doing my best.
> 
> Writing at the moment is still a hardship. It takes me an hour to get through one paragraph. I've never had my writing affected like this, so I'm hoping it goes away soon. 
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to Chris Cornell by the way, and the next, to dear Chester Bennington. Both were favorite sings of mine and I will be dedicating one chapter of each story to their works. Their music helped me through the hardest parts of my life. I meant to have this chapter out shortly after Chris Cornell's death, but depression killed it. However, the year anniversary is coming up and it fits.
> 
> This chapter is on the short side. It really is just to bridge from before the games to during the games. Not to say nothing important happens...
> 
>  
> 
> [ Never Far Away, Chris Cornell](https://youtu.be/NRWiwrXF9AQ)

“I thought you said this would be a quick and easy job?”

“It's not hard.”

“Sting, it's been two weeks. We're going to miss the games and Jiemma will kill us.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. We're his favorites.”

Rogue cut short the growl that was building in his throat. Losing his temper wouldn't do either of them any good, and Sting wouldn't listen to him anyway.

“We have to finish this today.” Rogue muttered pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache forming and had a feeling the cause was the frustrating blonde beside him.

“Then what're we waitin’ for?” Sting asked with a grin, darting from behind the tree they were using to hide.

“Sting god damn it. You're gonna get us killed one day!”

“Oh relax, it's just Vulcans.”

“It isn't just Vulcans when there's 50 of them!” Rogue hissed before following Sting out onto the open field.

The simple job Sting had found for them was to clear some dark wizards away from a small village in the mountains. Their presence had become more than a nuisance to the villagers, the effects of their magic killing of the local crops. It took the dragon slayers a few days, but they'd eventually managed to chase the wizards off.

However, once the dark wizards cleared out, a horde of Vulcans moved in, attracted to the dark magic the mages had used. Sting and Rogue had been fighting them off for days, and their magical reserves were getting dangerously low.

“Come on Rogue, they don't stand a chance against us.”

Rogue sighed taking his place beside Sting.  No matter what, they had to clear the Vulcans away, and with the Games looming on the horizon, the sooner they finished the job, the better.

“So, what’re you thinking?” He asked as he dodged one Vulcan, landing a kick in another one’s stomach.

The Vulcan flew into a tree, falling to the ground unconscious. Vulcans as a whole weren't bad to handle. They went down easy and scared even easier. The problem came when they attacked in hordes as it took a lot of magical energy to handle their numbers.

“One good Unison Raid should clear out the majority of them.” Sting yelled back, ducking under the arm of a Vulcan to land a strong right hook on its face.

“Think we’ll have enough energy to finish off the stragglers?” Rogue called back with a frown as he managed to send two Vulcans flying.

“We’ll have to.”

Rogue looked over at Sting, before nodding slowly. It could be a completely reckless move that drained them of power, but Sting was right. Their best shot was to chase off as many Vulcans at one time as they can. He moved closer, stretching his hand out to Sting, calling the shadows to him. He felt Sting’s hand touch his, and felt the power raise in response.

“Holy Shadow Dragon's Flash Fang!” they both called, and Rogue gasped as he felt the magic leave him.

He stumbled forward and felt Sting steadying him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Rogue, are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I'm fine. That just took a lot out of me.” He said with a frown, straightening up looking at his hand.

His magic felt off, as if it had been disturbed. As if someone else had been tapping into his power. He felt as if he'd been watching everything through a fog.

“Well, I'd say it was a bit of overkill, but like you said, we needed the job done today, so…”

“What are you…”

Rogue fell silent as he took in the sight before him. The whole horde of Vulcans were lying on the ground in front of them.

“Are they…”

“You know them cold,” Sting said with a smirk.

“Don’t you mean we?”

“I dunno how much help I was, honestly. That seemed to be all you. Took all my fun away.”

“Oh shut up. That isn't how Unison Raids work and you know it.”

“I dunno…”

“What do we do about this mess?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we can't just leave them, can we?”

“Come Rogue, you know Vulcans. They'll hightail it now that they got their asses beat. Let's get back to the inn. I'm starving.”

“You're always starving.”

“What can I say? I'm a growing man, I need my food.”

“That isn't how the saying goes, and you know it,” Rogue replied, feeling a smile starting to form as Sting led him away.

“Well, boy doesn't exactly fit, does it?”

“No, no I suppose it doesn't.”

* * *

 

“Sting, Rogue, you're back!”

“Hey Lector, did you have fun without us?” Sting asked falling back on the bed with a sigh.

“Not as much as we woulda out there.”

“Fro think so too!”

“Yeah, we woulda brought ya if we'd know it'd be easy.” He said reaching out to pet Lector on the head. “We thought it'd be a lot more dangerous out there. Didn't mean to bench ya pal. Won't happen again.”

“That's all right Sting. So the job is done?”

“Yep, finally done.”

“I knew you could do it! You're the strongest dragon slayer out there!”

“Course I am buddy.” Sting said easily, watching Rogue, who’d moved to his own bed, petting Frosch who'd crawled into his lap.

The other dragon slayer had been quiet since they took down the Vulcans. Sting knew something about the Unison Raid had unsettled Rogue, but he didn't know what. It had gone well, better than expected in fact. He'd never felt such a strong magical presence in Rogue before. Perhaps it was just the intensity of the moment or how strongly Rogue wanted the job to be done, because it disappeared almost immediately.

“What do you say we get some food Lector?”

“Sure, but what about Rogue?”

“I'm not hungry.”

“We can bring them something for later.”

Lector frowned looking over at Rogue and Frosch.

“Okay, if you say so.”

“Come on buddy,” Sting said, jumping up from the bed and leading Lector from the room.

“Sting, is Rogue okay?” Lector asked, once they made it down the hall.

“Hmm, why?”

“He’s actin’ kinda weird.”

“Aw, he’s just tired. We had a big fight today.”

“Not just today, he’s been actin’ weird for a few days now.”

“He has?”

“Do ya think it's cause the dreams?”

“What dreams?”

“Rogue's been having bad dreams for a few days now. Haven't ya heard them? He wakes up feeakin’ out.”

“I guess I sleep through them.” Sting said quietly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Now he ain't eatin’ and you guys eat a lot.”

“Only when we’re hungry!”

“You two are always hungry.”

Sting frowned falling quiet. He hadn't noticed anything strange about Rogue until their fight earlier. Had he missed something? He hadn't seemed off until the fight with the Vulcans. The whole way into town and throughout the job he had seemed his normal self. Sure he'd been quiet, but Rogue was always quiet. And yet...Sting’s frown deepened as he thought back to the dark circles that had been hanging around the last couple days on Rogue's face. Rogue had never had trouble sleeping before. They both could sleep through anything. Sting assumed it was a dragon slayer trait.  

“He should be fine once we get back.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Sting sighed running his fingers through his hair.

“What do you think I should do?”

“I don’t know. I just want Rogue to be okay, don't you?”

“Of course I do.”

“Even if you didn't notice something was wrong?”

“Oh shut it.”

Lector smirked a bit hopping onto Sting’s shoulder.

“Don't be upset Sting. I'm just playing."

"Uh huh, let's just get the food and get back to the room."

* * *

"Rogue...Rogue." 

Rogue groaned opening his eyes slowly. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He must have been more tired from the battle than he thought. 

"Sting?" He called out looking around. He swore he'd heard someone trying to wake him up. 

"Sting isn't here." A voice called from the corner. 

Rogue turned, eyes widening at the sight. A familiar looking shadow was standing next to the window, staring at him with bright red eyes.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to offer you some friendly advice." 

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Stop wasting your time on Sting. He isn't going to choose you."

"That's none of your business."

"It's more my business that you know. You're better off without him. Well, without his dead weight anyway."

"What the hell are you talking about?" 

"Take his power Rogue. Make it your own. It's really easy to do, and then you'll be free."

"No! Not a chance. I'm not going to hurt Sting."

"You need to stop protecting the blond fool. He doesn't want you, and hes never going to want you. Accept it, and move on. Make choices for yourself." 

"Sting and I are a team."

"You can make a better team."

"Listen, I dont know who the hell you think you are, but you need to get the hell out before I make you."

"You can try." The shadow said, moving into a fighting stance.

Rogue moved to attack when suddenly his body erupted in pain, and he fell to the floor crying out. 

* * *

 

"Rogue!" Sting cried out, hurrying to the shadow dragon slayers bedside. "Rogue, wake up. It's just a dream." 

"Are you sure it's a dream?" Lector asked worried, floating in the air over Rogue. 

"I...I have no idea, " Sting admitted softly. Rogue looked like he was in real pain. "Rogue, come on, wake up." 

Rogue cried out loudly, shooting straight up in bed. 

"Rogue?!"

"Sting?!" Rogue asked frantically,  reaching out, grabbing his arms tightly. 

"Hey, it's okay, it was just a nightmare."

"Nightmare...but...how? It felt so real..."

"Rogue? Are you okay?" Sting asked softly.

"I...I don't know," Rogue admitted, leaving against the blonde dragon slayer, shivering. He could still feel the shadows magic tearing him apart. 

Sting put his arm around Rogue slowly, holding him close. He had no idea Rogue could look so vulnerable and scared, and it caused an ache to grow in his chest. 

"It'll be okay Rogue." 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me as [Shadow-Faye](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/shadow-faye) on Tumblr!


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